Marriage Records

On January 9, 1872, Governor George L. Woods said in his Message to the Legislature (Series 182):

There is no statute law in Utah upon the subject of marriage. I do no hesitate to say that in my judgment there ought to be. Marriage may be a sacrament. It is is none the less a civil contract. This is the established doctrine of the Republic. It ought to be so regarded in this Territory. (Box 1, p. 161)

At this point, the only mention of marriage in laws and statutes of the territory was in regard to divorces, the ages of defined minors, and in very early ordinances that included the incorporation of the LDS Church, as in: "...Church holds the constitutional and original rights, in common with all civil and religious communities, ...to solemnize marriage compatible with the revelations of Jesus Christ" (Acts, Resolutions and Memorials... (1870), p. 108)

Marriage licenses as a civic record issued by a government agency begin in Utah with the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887 (read the entire text from 24 Stat. 635). The law primarily meant to end polygamy required a record of marriage as a means of enforcement, though only in Territories of the United States where Congress had such powers. The new process was described in a Deseret News article of April 18, 1888, "Filing Marriage Certificates," which references the new "marriage law." Beginning with Section 2589 of the Compiled Laws of Utah , Volume II, 1888it reads:

§ 2589. s 7. Marriages shall be solemnized by the following persons only:

1. Ministers of the gospel or priests of any denomination, in regular communion with any religious society.
2. Probate judges, justices of the peace and judges of the district and supreme court

§ 2590. s 8. No marriage shall be solemnized without a license therefore, issued by the clerk of the probate court of the county in which the female resides at the time; Provided, That when she is of full age or a widow, and it is issued on her application in person or by writing, signed by her, it may be issued by the clerk of any probate court.

Today, the statute concerning marriage licenses is found in UCA 30-1-7, updated to reflect the succession of probate court clerks into county clerks as those tasked with issuing licenses. Records of licenses are public, while applications are considered private and are available only to the subject of the record for up to 100 years.

Beaver | Box Elder | Cache | Carbon | Daggett | Davis | Duchesne | Emery | Garfield | Grand | Iron | Juab | Kane | Millard | Morgan | Piute | Rich | Salt Lake | San Juan | Sanpete | Sevier | Summit | Tooele | Uintah | Utah | Wasatch | Washington | Wayne | Weber

Beaver County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1920-[ongoing]	Series 83771 in county
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6120 in county
Box Elder County Clerk
Marriage licenses and applications, 1887-1898.	Series 23352
Marriage license applications, 1974-[ongoing]	Series 82843 in county
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6121 in county
Marriage license record books, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 23142 in county
Marriage license record book indexes, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 23143 in county
Cache County Clerk
Marriage certificate record books, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 23375 in county
Marriage license applications, 1911-[ongoing]	Series 83780 in county
Marriage license indexes, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 23374 in county
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6122 in county
Carbon County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1978-[ongoing]	Series 83865 in county
Marriage license indexes, 1894-[ongoing]	Series 23393 in county
Marriage license record books, 1894-[ongoing]	Series 23395 in county
Marriage licenses, 1894-[ongoing]	Series 6341 in county
Daggett County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1920-[ongoing]	Series 83792 in county
Marriage license register, 1985-[ongoing]	Series 17550 in county
Marriage licenses, 1918-[ongoing]	Series 6039
Davis County Clerk
Marriage certificate record books, 1887-1888.	Series 23383
Marriage license applications, 1916-[ongoing]	Series 6344 in county
Marriage license book indexes, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 23378 in county
Marriage license record books, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 23384
Marriage licenses and applications, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6040
Duchesne County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1915-[ongoing]	Series 20104 in county
Marriage licenses, 1915-[ongoing]	Series 84243 in county
Emery County Clerk
Marriage licenses, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 6124 in county
Marriage records, 1886-1966.	Series 23475
Garfield County Clerk
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 84071 in county
Grand County Clerk
Marriage license record books, 1890-[ongoing]	Series 6125 in county
Iron County Clerk
Marriage certificate record book, 1887-1893.	Series 23480
Marriage license applications, 1916-[ongoing]	Series 83750 in county
Marriage license record books, 1888-1938.	Series 23481 in county
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 83749 in county
Juab County Clerk
Marriage certificate record books, 1887-1895.	Series 23483
Marriage license applications, 1911-[ongoing]	Series 84140 in county
Marriage license record books, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 84137 in county
Kane County Clerk
Marriage certificate record book, 1888-1901.	Series 23492
Marriage license record book, 1901-1966.	Series 23491 in county
Millard County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 83668 in county
Marriage license record book indexes, 1887-1966.	Series 23493 in county
Marriage license record books, 1887-1966.	Series 23494 in county
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6130 in county
Morgan County Clerk
Marriage licenses, 1869-[ongoing]	Series 83805 in county
Piute County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1921-[ongoing]	Series 84047 in county
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 84046 in county
Rich County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 9914 in county
Marriage licenses, 1858-[ongoing]	Series 9913 in county
Salt Lake County Clerk
Marriage applications and licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6688 in county
Marriage license index books, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 10360 in county
Marriage license record books, 1887-1955.	Series 4000 in county
Duplicate marriage license record book, 1893-1914.	Series 10469 in county
also see Salt Lake County Archives
San Juan County Clerk
Marriage licenses, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 6126 in county
Sanpete County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 84104 in county
Marriage licenses, 1873-[ongoing]	Series 84103 in county
Sevier County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1901-[ongoing]	Series 84259 in county
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6127 in county
Summit County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 20004 in county
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6128 in county
Tooele County Clerk
Marriage licenses, 1876-[ongoing]	Series 6117 in county
Monthly marriage license report, 1986-[ongoing]	Series 1889 in county
Uintah County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1913-[ongoing]	Series 84021 in county
Marriage license record books, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 23289 in county
Marriage licenses, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 84019 in county
Utah County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1897-[ongoing]	Series 5585
Marriage license record book index, 1892-1912	Series 23297 in county
Marriage licenses, 1904-[ongoing]	Series 6129 in county
Marriage record books, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 23290
Wasatch County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1879-[ongoing]	Series 9991 in county
Marriage license index, 1879-[ongoing]	Series 23201 in county
Marriage license record books, 1879-1966.	Series 23200 in county
Marriage licenses, 1879-[ongoing]	Series 83876 in county
Washington County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1921-[ongoing]	Series 84258 in county
Marriage license record books, 1885-[ongoing]	Series 23174 in county
Marriage licenses and applications, 1885-[ongoing]	Series 83156 in county
Wayne County Clerk
Marriage license applications, 1933-[ongoing]	Series 84078 in county
Marriage license record books, 1892-[ongoing]	Series 84075 in county
Weber County Clerk
Marriage record book, 1887-1896.	Series 23148
Marriage licenses, 1887-[ongoing]	Series 6118 in county
Marriage license index books, 1888-1949.	Series 22634 in county
Marriage license applications, 1888-[ongoing]	Series 84260 in county

This page was last updated February 23, 2011.